Category Archives: NCAA Scheme Breakdowns

Under first year offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, the Cal Golden Bears have found some success in the passing game by utilizing elements of the scheme he ran from the previous three years at Texas A&M. With stability at quarterback following the departure of Jared Goff, Spavital has found success using the short side of the…

With the rise of spread offenses, teams have begun to incorporate more wrinkles into their schemes. The Utah Utes are no different, as Ryan Dukarm shows with a break down of their Run-Pass-Option game. The Utah Utes are off to an impressive start to the 2016 college football season, and one of the main reasons for their…

One way Justin Fuente has kept Virginia Tech in the race for the ACC Coastal division title is to rely on one of his staples: Utilizing motion in his offenses to disguise concepts. Sean Cottrell shows how that was no different in a crucial game against Miami by breaking down the Virginia Tech orbit motion…

Although the BYU Cougars stand at 4-4 this season, they have been involved in a ton of close games, partly due to their defensive prowess using creative blitzing schemes. Ryan Dukarm takes a closer look at the BYU stunts and defensive line schemes utilized this year. The BYU Cougars have given fans their fair share of suspense in 2016,…

Many will focus on Washington’s impressive offense in their big win against Stanford. But it was the Washington Huskies pass rush that helped shut down McCaffrey and the Cardinal offense. Ryan Dukarm looks at how they did it. The Washington Huskies asserted themselves as a 2016 playoff contender with a crushing 44-6 victory over the…

Coaches have tricks to win, using formations and wrinkles to try to deceive opponents. Sean Cottrell looks at what’s in the bag Dino Babers brings to the Syracuse Orange. Ask any coach in the country to describe what differentiates the great offenses from merely good ones and many will mention red zone efficiency. This is especially true in…

Film work complete, Mark Schofield is ready to make his predictions for the coming Southeastern Conference season. Will Tennessee finally break through in the SEC East? Can Alabama hold off the LSU Tigers? Also, what players look to take home hardware at the end of the season? As we near kickoff of the college football…

Teams change as players leave through the draft or or can’t play for whatever reason, but schemes and concepts may remain the same. Here, Mark Schofield looks at the Mississippi State Bulldogs screen game on offense. Last season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs were a bit of a surprise. Despite only returning seven starters, fewest in the Southeastern Conference, Dan Mullen’s team…

The Big Ten is shaping up be a highly competitive conference this year. Although much of the conference’s top talent left for the NFL Draft last season, new faces enter will soon be household names. Jeff Feyerer‘s 2016 Big Ten Preview focuses on those players and teams, and the schemes and strategies coaches will utilize…

David Shaw is hoping to lead his team a national championship with a new quarterback and a Heisman-hopeful running back. To that, Shaw will stick with passing and running concepts that have been reliable in the past. Joseph Ferraiola breaks Stanford’s unbalanced run schemes and how they force defenses to constantly adjust. The Stanford Cardinal had a…

Teams change as players leave through the draft or or can’t play for whatever reason, but schemes and concepts may remain the same. Here, Mark Schofield delves into an SEC staple: Arkansas’ play-action boot pass. The University of Arkansas overcame a rocky start (1-3 with three consecutive losses to Toledo, Texas Tech and Texas A&M) to finish 7-5 in…

Be they simple or complex, offensive formations are critical to beating defenses, and, as Ted Nguyen explains, something which University of Washington Head Coach Chris Petersen knows how to do in seemingly endless ways. University of Washington head coach Chris Petersen earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from my alma mater UC Davis, where he played quarterback and later…

Despite a new season and new quarterback leading the Cardinal offense, don’t look for familiar schemes to go away. Ryan Dukarm breaks down one of David Shaw’s favorite passing concepts, the mesh concept, and how he varies it to keep defenses guessing. The Stanford Cardinal are facing uncertainty at the quarterback position for the first time in…

In order for Vanderbilt to take another leap into contention for the SEC crown they’ll need another strong performance from their defense, which is anchored by Zach Cunningham. Mark Schofield breaks down the linebacker to highlight his traits and how he fits into the Commodores’ defensive schemes. Under third-year head coach David Mason, the Vanderbilt…

The Georgia Bulldogs enter 2016 with a veteran offense and the return of star running back Nick Chubb to go along with a new coaching staff. Mark Schofield looks at how new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will utilize Chubb on the power toss. There is new blood at the helm of the Georgia Bulldogs for the…

Whether in the NFL or college football, disrupting the quarterback is one of the keys to winning football games. Mark Schofield looks at Texas A&M’s elite rusher Myles Garrett and how his versatility makes him nearly unstoppable. As a former quarterback, watching Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is not an exercise I particularly enjoy.…